1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing mineral fibers, and more particularly refers to such an apparatus having an improved and more efficient collection apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is conventional in the prior art to produce mineral fibers by conveying a stream of molten mineral material such as glass or slag onto a rotating surface where the molten material is centrifuged into the path of an air stream to form the fibers. This is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,106,921 and 4,342,582. It has been found that, in operation, as the fiberization rate is increased in order to increase production, blowback results and the temperature within the collection chamber increases, making it difficult to exhaust air through the bottom of the collection chamber floor. This results in a reduction in the efficiency of the apparatus and a reduction in the output per unit time.